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These Days
'' These Days ''(commonly 'TD' or 'TDS') iss an urban and darkly emotional serial drama produced by Imago Productions (as it is now known) and published on the creative writing forum Writers Express (known as 'Lit' in 2018) between 2011-18. Two versions were published - the first (These Days 1.0) between 2011-14, and the second from 2015-18 (These Days 2.0). Although the second version lasted longer than the first, less than half the amount of episodes were published. Both versions were cancelled. The project is set in and around two fictitious Leicester suburbs: Newben and Linford. The long-running setting of Middlehampton was dropped for These Days 2.0. When both versions started, events were initially set in the near future (TDS time), but once caught up, fell behind real time, and so was essentially set in the past. In TDS time, the show aired three days a week - on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The project won 28 forum awards in all, including 'Best Soap' three times in a row. On 20th October 2017, an unannounced scripted episode of 2.0 was published, focusing on the harrowing rape of character Lindsay Adams. This went on to win the award for Best Soap Episode at LITFAs 14 in May 2018. Another issue-based storyline, namely Jodie 'JJ' Jacobson's Borderline Personality Disorder diagnosis, saw that character win Best Young Female at the same ceremony. 2.0 aired on Fridays, averaging three episodes per calendar month. The final episode was released on 20th April 2018 in real time (18th February 2016 in TDS time), and was Episode 75. For an in-depth guide to These Days, check out the official wiki Cancellation On 1st August 2018, it was announced in an article on WXF that the project had been axed after 75 episodes. It was the longest-running serial drama overall on the forum until September 2018 (when a second version of The Avenue began), and outlasted the original by around two months. On her decision, Noxy expressed 'dissatisfaction' with the project, promising to discuss her thinking further at some point in the future. Revival A new version is in development and will launch in 2020. Noxy has promised a Producer Interview will be posted 'in due course' about the decision. An article announcing the comeback was published on Writers Express on 20th March 2019. Title Card The new title card for These Days 3.0 has an identical logo to the final title card of 2.0, but the background image is different. The generic, orange-bricked housing estate has been discarded in favour of a tatty-looking alleyway, suggesting a grittier tone than previously. The unchanged logo is made up of two red squares, the left of which is almost transparent save for the outline. The words 'THESE' (in red) and 'DAYS' (in white) appear alongside each other in block capitals, in two different boxes, the left of which is slanted higher than the other, and the combination gives a winged-like image. Of the look, Noxy said: "This is the happiest I've ever been with a TDS title card." The font used in the logo is Open Sans Semibold. Theme Tune The theme tune in 2.0 was 'Distance' by Schiller ft. Kim Sanders. Noxy felt that the song's 'ethereal atmosphere and emotional lyrics' captured the essence of what the show was about. In 1.0, the theme was 'Unfinished Sympathy (Paul Oakenfold Remix)' by Massive Attack. Noxy has stated that 'at this stage', the Unfinished Sympathy remix will return as the show's closing them tune for 3.0. In accordance with previous versions however, These Days has no opening theme; instead, a recap of the previous episode (except in Episode 1, which starts with an opening scene instead) leads straight into the brief title card sequence, before the episode then begins. Episode Recaps N/A Final Cast (2.0)